Territory pharmacists want to prescribe some common medicines without a doctor’s script

The Northern Territory Government has revealed how it stands when it comes to residents having access to some medicines without a doctor’s script. Vote in our exclusive reader poll.

Accessing antibiotics, the pill and other common medicines could get a lot easier for Territorians, but the idea has split the healthcare system in two.

The national pharmacy body is in talks with the Territory Government about gaining greater powers to prescribe medicines.

It comes after a the first stage of a controversial pilot in Queensland earlier this year, which is now permanent, allowing pharamcists to prescribe antibiotics for urinary tract infections (UTIs).

On Sunday, NSW announced it would mirror the trial.

Pharmacists in both states will be trained to treat conditions including UTIs, ear infections and skin ailments, as well as prescribe the contraceptive pill.

While doctors have widely criticised the move, the Pharmacy Guild of Australia NT branch president Peter Hatswell said it’s focused on conditions that need timely access.

“Sometimes it can take many days or even weeks to get in to see a GP,” he said.

“If a UTI is not treated in a timely manner it can become a serious kidney infection which may require multiple nights stay in hospital.

“The UTI prescribing trial in Queensland was an outstanding success in every way for patients, the taxpayer and the overwhelmed GP system.”

The Pharmacy Guild estimated the pilot prevented almost 1000 emergency presentations over the two-year trial in Queensland.

“GPs quite openly say they’re on the edge of working capacity and can’t do anymore,” Mr Hatswell said.

“They’re working weeks and weeks without a day off.

“That is unsafe and as pharmacists we want to help.

“We have been looked upon as medication specialists for quite some time.”

He said pharmacists would undergo 120 hours of online training to gain the powers, as those in Queensland and NSW were doing.

The medicines available without a prescription include treatment for a urinary tract infection. Picture: iStock

Medication information would also be made available to doctors in real-time with a patient’s permission.

Chief Minister Natasha Fyles said the government was looking at ways “to make getting access to essential medicines easier”.

“In the upcoming November parliamentary sittings we will debate the Medicines, Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Legislation Amendment Bill 2022 which will modernise the way medicines are prescribed, giving pharmacists the ability to prescribe medications to prevent overdoses,” she said.

“The new legislation will enable the CHO to approve protocols for health practitioners, such as pharmacists to administer specific medicines under specific conditions.

“New protocols to treat additional conditions will be developed in the future.”

However a local doctor was not sure the pros of the move would outweigh the cons.

“Clearly service provision matters and if there’s no access to a GP or you can’t afford it it’s something that has to be considered,” Dr Sam Heard, Royal Australian College of General Practitioners NT chair, said.

“The question is does this help the general population be healthier or is it giving people want they want not what they need?”

Dr Heard said the main concerns over introducing the new powers were a lack of continuity of care and the potential danger of Territorians over-treating themselves with medications and becoming resistant to antibiotics.

Dr Sam Heard said while patients in remote towns like Katherine would benefit from a trial like this, it could result in resistance to medications. Picture: Supplied

He said GPs could be affected in the number and types of patients they see, and therefore in the revenue made.

“Minor illness presentations is where the profit is in GPs – if you take all of them away then you might have a negative impact unless you increase income for general practice.”

Introducing a trial wouldn’t impact remote communities where nurses, Aboriginal health practitioners and doctors can already dispense medications.

Dr Heard said it could have a positive impact residents of towns like Katherine, Nhulunbuy and Tennant Creek because of the drastic shortage of GPs.

“We have to accept where there are no GPs but there is a pharmacy then they can contribute,” he said.

“If government is serious about this I would get pharmacists, emergency department, GPs and hospital doctors in the room and think about intended and unintended consequences.”

Outgoing RACGP president Professor Karen Price also expressed concerns about the trial being done in NSW.

“Healthcare is about more than just writing prescriptions and sending people out the door on their way,” she said.

“What particularly concerns me is that if this plan goes ahead patient care will be fragmented, resulting in reduced patient safety and reduced health outcomes.”

Originally published as Territory pharmacists want to prescribe some common medicines without a doctor’s script